Vegetation changes associated with barrier-dune construction on the outer banks of North Carolina

Manmade dunes are used to stabilize the barrier islands of the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States so that they are more amenable to development. Although this strategy has stabilized extensive sections of the barrier-island substrate, it has also caused significant ecological changes. The rate and pattern of the resulting vegetation changes along the Outer Banks of North Carolina were determined using sequential aerial photography. Successional trends have been altered in favor of more stable woody communities.     

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES FOR FLOOD CONTROL CHANNELS1

ABSTRACT: The environmental effects of flood control channel modifications such as clearing and snagging, straightening, enlargement, and/or paving can be quite severe in some cases. Information review reveals that several environmental features have been incorporated into the design, construction, operation, or maintenance of recent flood control channel projects to avoid adverse environmental impacts and enhance environmental quality. Typically, these features have been proposed by conservation agencies and designed with minimal quantitative analysis. Environmental features for channel projects include selective clearing and snagging techniques, channel designs with nonuniform geometry such as single bank modification and floodways, restoration and enhancement of aquatic habitat, improved techniques for placement of excavated material, and revegetation.     

A SUPERCRITICAL FLUME FOR MEASURING SEDIMENT-LADEN STREAMFLOW1

ABSTRACT: After 25 years of operation on ephemeral streams in the semiarid Southwest, this supercritical flume has provided more than 350 station-years of reliable streamflow data, even under freezethaw conditions experienced at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 m, in Arizona. The flume has also provided streamflow data during flood periods produced by high intensity summer thunderstorm conditions, where considerable sediment and other debris was moved downstream.     

The Aging of America's Reservoirs: In‐Reservoir and Downstream Physical Changes and Habitat Implications

Reservoirs are important for various purposes including flood control, water supply, power generation, and recreation. The aging of America's reservoirs and progressive loss of water storage capacity resulting from ongoing sedimentation, coupled with increasing societal needs, will cause the social, economic, environmental, and political importance of reservoirs to continually increase. The short‐ and medium‐term (<50 years) environmental consequences of reservoir construction and operation are well known and include an altered flow regime, lost connectivity (longitudinal, floodplain), an altered sediment regime, substrate compositional change, and downstream channel degradation. In general, reservoir‐related changes have had adverse consequences for the natural ecosystem. Longer term (>50 years) environmental changes as reservoirs enter “old” age are less understood. Additional research is needed to help guide the future management of aging reservoir systems and support the difficult decisions that will have to be made. Important research directions include assessment of climate change effects on aging and determination of ecosystem response to ongoing aging and various management actions that may be taken with the intent of minimizing or reversing the physical effects of aging.     

贵州喀斯特地区土壤细菌群落结构特征及变化

为探明贵州喀斯特不同植被演替群落下的土壤细菌群落结构及变化特征,本文利用高通量测序技术对5个主要植被演替群落(稀灌草丛、藤刺灌丛、灌木林、乔灌过渡林、乔木林)的根际(竹叶椒)、非根际土壤细菌群落结构及环境因子进行了分析研究。结果表明:贵州喀斯特高原土壤细菌类群主要为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes),其相对丰富度分别为43.35%、12.97%、7.53%、7.12%、6.19%、5.35%、5.05%,未分类类群占7.36%。样品中检测到了较低丰度的广古菌门和泉古菌门。随植被群落演替,根际土壤中变形菌门、厚壁菌门和浮霉菌门丰度逐渐增加;非根际土壤中酸杆菌门和疣微菌门丰度随植被演替逐渐减小。贵州喀斯特高原土壤细菌的影响因子大小为土壤有机碳、土壤总氮、含水量、电导率等,其中土壤有机碳和土壤总氮有显著性影响。     

Recovery in Naturally Dynamic Environments: A Case Study from the Sperrgebiet,Southern African Arid Succulent Karoo

Little is known about the process of vegetation recovery and associated time frames in the Succulent Karoo Biome of southern Africa. This study investigated the recovery of vegetation on sites impacted by mining (different types of dumps and mined areas) in the arid succulent karoo. The main aim of this study was to determine the state of recovery, time frames, successional stages, and the influence of environmental factors on recovery of coastal dune and sand plain plant communities. For this purpose, vegetation was recorded on some 121 sites throughout a coastal strip of approximately 100 × 3 km in Namibia’s restricted diamond area (Sperrgebiet). Using the species pool concept to derive vegetation reference sites and dominance-diversity curves, recovery of vegetation (measured in terms of species richness and cover) in these altered landscapes reached about 46% on the oldest, 51-year-old mine dumps. However, based on species richness, richness levels similar to the undisturbed reference sites were recorded after 30 years, following a logarithmic trend. Successional stages of natural recovery were indicated in this dynamic coastal environment and Cladoraphis cyperoides and Galenia fruticosa appear to be early successional species. Scaling up of studies to landscape level and developing a target community using the species pool concept are discussed as means to measure recovery in dynamic biological communities. On these altered, man-made landforms, the availability of seed may be the bottleneck to achieve vegetation cover comparable to undisturbed vegetation in the surrounding. Hence, restoration efforts should focus on this aspect.     

THE DISCHARGE OF SEDIMENT IN CHANNELIZED ALLUVIAL STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Approximately 400 million cubic feet of channel sediments have been delivered to the Mississippi River from the Obion-Forked Deer River system in the last 20 years. The discharge of sediment from these channelized networks in West Tennessee varies systematically with the stage of channel evolution. Variations in yields over time reflect the shifting dominance of fluvial and mass-wasting processes as the networks adjust to lower energy conditions. Maximum bed-material discharges occur during the initial phases of degradation (Stage III). In contrast, yields of suspended-sediment peak during the threshold stage (Stage 1V: large-scale mass wasting) as sediments are delivered from main-channel banks and tributary beds. Suspended-sediment yields then decrease as aggradation (Stage V) becomes the dominant trend in the main channels, but remains relatively high through restabiliza-tion (Stage VI) because of continued degradation and widening in the tributaries. Bed-material discharges decrease from the degradation stage (III) to Stage V, and increase again during restabiliza-tion (Stage VI) because secondary aggradation increases gradients and incipient meandering serves to rework bed sediments. This secondary maxima in bed-material discharge is analogous to those described previously as complex, or oscillatory, response. The trends of sediment production and transport described from these rejuvenated networks are in agreement with experimental and theoretical results of earlier investigations.     

c-di-GMP在低温好氧颗粒污泥形成过程中的作用

在低温条件下运行好氧颗粒污泥反应器,絮状污泥颗粒化过程中信号分子可通过传导作用引起各层物质之间的组分变化,通过研究胞外聚合物及污泥相关疏水性的变化规律,并观察此过程中微生物菌群的群落演替特点,揭示环二鸟苷酸（c-di-GMP）在低温好氧颗粒污泥形成过程中的变化规律与影响作用.结果表明：接种污泥在颗粒化过程中,胞外聚合物含量从48mg/gMLVSS增长至139mg/gMLVSS,其中以TB层蛋白质增长为主,在颗粒化过程中,c-di-GMP含量由62μg/gMLVSS增至600μg/gMLVSS,始终影响微生物运动及生物膜形成,促使具备胞外聚合物分泌功能的菌群加快分泌胞外聚合物,促进好氧颗粒污泥的形成.各个阶段污泥中微生物种群存在较大差异,在反应器运行初始阶段与c-di-GMP合成相关的菌群占据优势,同时在后期表现出较好的脱氮除磷能力,在低温条件下好氧颗粒污泥微生物菌群发生演替并最终形成稳定的菌群结构.     

An Ecologically Destabilized Environment: Its Effect on Small-Mammal Populations

Characteristics of the small-mammal populations inhabiting forest biocenoses in the Middle Ural state reserves have been analyzed over in the period from 1987 to 2002. During this period, the habitats of these animals were considerably destabilized due to windfalls and fires. The environmental characteristics of animal microhabitats at different stages of environment destabilization have been described quantitatively. Changes in the long-term cycles of the population dynamics of the dominant forest vole species caused by the destabilizing factors have been found. Redistribution of species dominance with respect to abundance has been demonstrated.     

产酸脱硫反应器中COD/SO42-比制约的群落生态演替规律

通过产酸脱硫反应器的动态试验和配套的静态试验,考察致变因子 COD/SO₄^2-比制约的乙酸型顶极群落的结构、优势种群的组成和生态演替的规律; 阐明乙酸型代谢和乙酸型顶极群落是产酸脱硫生态系统的典型特征;揭示乙酸型顶极群落内平衡与反馈调节的生理代谢机制,并以因变因子**pH值、氧化还原电位和碱度来表征生态演替过程中优势种群的三维实现生态位.